Conditions

Dehydration is a serious problem in competing and working horses, especially during hot weather. Horses competing in endurance racing or engaging in sustained or strenuous activities are at the highest risk of dehydration. Dehydration occurs when a horse loses excessive...

Roaring is a condition that causes some horses to make a whistling or roaring sound during exercise. It can affect a horse’s performance during high-intensity exercises, such as racing. This condition is also referred to as recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN)...

Equine Coronavirus (ECoV) is a highly contagious illness transmitted between horses that can cause fever, anorexia, diarrhea, and colic. Most horses recover from equine coronavirus with supportive care. In serious cases, affected horses may require specific treatments such as electrolytes,...

Thumps in horses is a condition that produces irregular contractions of the diaphragm, resulting in a thumping noise similar to a human hiccup. Scientifically referred to as Synchronous Diaphragmatic Flutter (SDF), thumps causes the diaphragm to spasm in the same...

Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) is a condition that causes bleeding in the airways, commonly seen in high-performance horses such as racing Thoroughbreds. Horses that experience EIPH are known as "bleeders."

Equine wobbler syndrome, also known as cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM), is a devastating neurological syndrome resulting from damage to your horse's spinal cord. Horses with CVSM exhibit neurological symptoms such as poor balance and stumbling when walking.

Insulin resistance (IR) in horses describes a condition in which the body fails to properly respond to the hormone insulin. Impaired insulin response is the main feature of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). Horses with EMS do not metabolize sugars properly...

Chronic Progressive Lymphedema (CPL) is a condition that describes impaired lymph flow in the lower legs. Primarily observed in draft horse breeds, CPL causes swelling and skin inflammation on affected legs. Horses with the condition are also at risk of...

Thrush describes an infection that develops in the frog of one or more of the horse's hooves, caused by a fungal or bacterial pathogen. Fusobacterium necrophorum is the bacterium most often associated with thrush infections. Hooves with frogs that have...

Uveitis in horses is a condition in which the uvea layer of the eye becomes inflamed. It is the most common cause of blindness in horses. It is estimated that as many as 25% of horses worldwide are affected by...

Equine Motor Neuron Disease (EMND) is a disease that causes progressive damage to nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord of adult horses. The disease damages cells that are involved with muscle movement, rendering them dysfunctional and leading to...

Equine rotavirus is a potentially deadly virus that causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms in foals. Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in foals less than 6 months of age.

Surgical intervention is, unfortunately, necessary for many horses that experience colic, with 4 - 10% of colic cases requiring surgery. The term colic refers to abdominal pain of any cause.

Equine anemia is a condition that significantly impacts the health and performance of horses. It is a reduced number of red blood cells in circulation. Horses with anemia typically experience low energy levels, elevated heart rate, poor coat quality, depression...

A medical condition necessitating urgent attention, equine choke refers to obstruction of the esophagus. The condition most frequently occurs due to rapid feed consumption and the subsequent lodging of feed or other matter in the esophagus.

Equine anhidrosis is a performance-limiting condition that refers to the reduced ability to sweat in horses. The condition most frequently affects horses living in hot and humid climates. Anhidrosis occurs because the sweat glands fail to function normally when body...

Rain scald is a relatively common skin infection caused by the bacteria Dermatophilus congolensis. The infection often affects the skin on the back and rump of horses. Rain scald can develop when skin is exposed to excessive moisture which weakens...

Sweet Itch is a common skin condition in horses that is caused by an allergic reaction to insect bites. It is also known by the names Queensland itch, summer dermatitis, insect-bite hypersensitivity, summer eczema, recurrent seasonal pruritus, and equine Culicoides...

Pasture-associated laminitis (PAL) is a form of insulin-induced laminitis that can occur after horses have grazed on grasses and legumes that are high in hydrolyzable carbohydrates (HC). This condition causes pain and stretching and weakening of the laminae of the...

One in ten horses is affected by laminitis each year. This painful condition involves inflammation of the hoof laminae, leading to varying degrees of lameness. Although laminitis affects the hooves, the condition is often initiated by dietary and metabolic factors.

Sucralfate is an FDA-approved drug for use in humans that is used off-label for the treatment of equine gastric and hindgut ulcers. It is typically used in conjunction with omeprazole. Sucralfate (Carafate® Sulcrafate®) helps to protect the lining of the...

Equine pastern dermatitis - also known as mud fever or greasy heel - is a reaction or infection that occurs on the skin of the pastern. In mild forms, it is characterized by itchiness, redness and hair loss on the...

Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism (NSH) - also known as Big Head Disease - is an uncommon problem in horses that stems from a mineral imbalance. This skeletal condition develops due to a calcium deficiency or an imbalanced ratio of dietary calcium...

Gastric ulcers are lesions in the horse's stomach that can cause pain, recurrent colic, poor exercise tolerance, weight loss and behavioural changes in your horse. Ulcers in the squamous (upper) region of the stomach form when gastric acids come into...

Bartonella is a type of bacteria that can infect humans as well as other mammals, including horses and donkeys. The resulting infection, known as bartonellosis, has been documented in many regions throughout the world.

Kissing spine is a skeletal abnormality in horses in which bony growths on the vertebrae of the spine touch or "kiss". These bony outgrowths are called dorsal spinous processes.

Winter laminitis is a circulatory condition that causes sore hooves in horses exposed to cold temperatures. Horses affected by winter laminitis have impaired circulation within their hooves, leading to pain and inflammation in the laminae.

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is an infectious disease of the horse’s central nervous system. It is one of the most difficult diseases for veterinarians to diagnose because it often mimics other conditions and has a wide range of symptoms that...

Veterinarians report that they are treating more horses for hyperlipidemia, potentially as a result of modern sedentary lifestyles and the feeding of high-carbohydrate diets. This life-threatening condition commonly occurs in ponies, miniature horses, and donkeys with insulin resistance.

Physitis is the most common developmental disease that affects the bones of growing horses. This condition involves swelling around the growth plates (physes) of long bones in a young horse’s legs. It can lead to pain, stiffness in the joints,...